


When It Happened

by GuardianOfTheLoaf



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Bad Things Happen Bingo, Crying, Hurt Noctis Lucis Caelum, Hurt/Comfort, Muteness, One Shot, Starscourge (Final Fantasy XV), Starscourge-Infected Noctis Lucis Caelum, Whump, Young Noctis Lucis Caelum
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-29
Updated: 2019-07-29
Packaged: 2020-07-25 00:34:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,290
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20023603
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GuardianOfTheLoaf/pseuds/GuardianOfTheLoaf
Summary: The mairlith attack when Noctis was young caused elective mutism.





	When It Happened

Noct was so young when it happened, when he lost almost everything. His whole family was traveling together, he remembered leaning against the window, his chin balanced against his hand, his mom singing along to a song at his side. He was perfectly content, his blue eyes trained at the environment passing by them. But then everything happened so quickly and there was so much that he only remembers glimpses of what happened next. He recalls the sound of the brakes squealing, the smell of burning rubber and the sound of his mother screaming and the feeling of her trying to grab a hold of him, her hands gripping his clothing. Noct remembers the pure fear that he felt at the sound of his mothers scream. He had never heard his mother sound like that.

The next thing he was aware of was being carried out of the car by his mother as the sound of metal being torn apart ripped through the atmosphere, the screeching sound hurting his ears. Then he pitched forward as something slammed into the two of them and Noctis was flung forward, his head bounced off the pavement and then everything was dark. He was next aware, he didn’t know how much longer, but he saw brilliant blue, blinding him even through his eyelids, so he opened them, and then gasped when he saw his mother’s eyes staring back at him, his own face reflected in them. But there was something wrong with her eyes. They didn’t look right. ‘Mom?’ he tried to say, but no sound came from his mouth, he only tasted iron.

Noctis knew the sound of swords and he knew his father was using them. He had seen his dad summon weapons before but he had never seen him use them. But he could see the light and hear the swords, yet, he couldn’t turn his head no matter how much he tried. Noct soon faded back into unconsciousness. Only waking again when he felt his dad touch him. He opened his eyes and saw the black cloth covering his fathers knees. He realized his father was kneeling in a red puddle. ‘Dad,’ he tried to say, ‘your clothes.’ Only whispered out of him.

Noct felt his fathers hands pull at him, draping him across his fathers lap. Noct looked up, meeting his fathers eyes. He was surprised to see tears there. “Noct, stay awake okay, we’re…we’re going to get you help, you’re going to be okay.

There was another voice. Noct recognized it as Clarus’s, his dad’s Shield. “The Oracle. We need to get to the Oracle. Those wounds are too severe, that’s his best chance.”

There were more words that Noct didn’t remember or that he didn’t hear as he was lifted up. He cried out, his body swarmed with agony. His dad tried to shush him, to tell him it would be okay but there was nothing.

Noct woke up some time later in a warm, soft bed with a girl his age at his side. He turned his head to face her and her eyes immediately shifted to his and she smiled. Noct frowned, confused, wanting his parents. He tried to move his legs, to get up, but nothing happened and his panic increased even further, his breathing pace increasing drastically.

“It is okay, Nocts, you are safe. My name is Lunafreya and I am helping to take care of you.” The girl laid a hand on Noctis’s arm and a sense of peace and calm washed over him. Noct relaxed slightly but he still wanted his parents. He opened his mouth, trying to voice that fact but he was unable to say what he wanted.

“Are you having trouble speaking, Noctis?” Luna asked softly and he nodded.

She nodded back as if she completely understood. “Okay, but you can move your arms and hands right?” She asked and he nodded again. “Good, I am going to teach you how to use your hands to talk, just for now, until your voice comes back, okay?” Noct nodded again, a bit more excitedly. Luna then proceeded to show him how to make words with his hands. Words like father and help. Noct noticed that she hesitated when she showed him mother and he felt his stomach do flips. 

It was soon after that his father entered the room. Luna spoke with him briefly before leaving so that he and his dad were alone. Regis came to sit in the same chair that Luna had just vacated. “She’s nice, isn’t she?” He asked and Noct nodded hesitantly before quickly signing mother.

His dad’s face twisted. “They taught me some sign language. You woke up a couple times, before, and tried to speak.” He stalled.

Noct signed it again and Regis looked down before lifting his head and meeting his eyes. They were, again, shining with tears. “She’s gone, Noctis.” He shook his head, heaved a shuddering sigh and ran a hand over his face. “She’s gone.”

Noct shook his head vehemently and looked around as if he would find her hiding somewhere. A choked sound came from his dad and his attention was drawn back to him. That’s when Noctis realized. She really was gone. He had never ever seen his dad cry. There could be no other reason. And then Noct was crying too, silently. His dad gently pulled him over to him. Pain sparked in Noct’s back but he ignored it, instead burying his face in his dad’s chest as his shoulders shook with the force of his sobs. His dad was crying too, they were both shaking, both holding onto each other.

Eventually Noct fell asleep and his dad tucked him back into the bed, wiping his face clean with his sleeves, then he leaned back against the padded chair, wiping his own face. Next to Noctis Aulea was his everything. He didn’t know what to do without her. Noctis had barely survived and some starscourge still remained. They had been unable to remove it all. His back too would take time to heal, leaving him unable to move his legs for a while. Plus, he was unable to speak. Someone, he forgot who amidst the mess, had told him that it was trauma making Noctis like that and eventually Noctis would speak again. In the meantime learning an alternative way to speak would be a benefit to him and everyone around him. So, Regis was learning as well, as quickly as possible. But, he would also try to gently encourage Noctis to speak when he could.

Regis stared at Noctis for awhile. They would probably stay for awhile to try to rid Noctis’s body of the rest of the starscourge.

Of course nothing ever goes according to plan.

They were all driven out of Altissia and were soon back in Insomnia. Noctis continued learning Sign Language and his advisor and shield learned alongside him, Noctis in his wheelchair and trying so hard to move his legs.

It took almost a full year for him to be able to walk again and even longer to be able to speak again. That happened kind of unexpectedly. Regis had come in to tell Noctis good night, reading him a story of their ancestors. He had leaned over placing a kiss on his beloved sons forehead and whispering in a sleepy Noctis’s ear, “I love you, Noctis.” and Noctis, half alseep, murmured back, in a voice cracking with disuse,

“I love you too, Dad.” And Regis leaned back, surprised to hear his sons voice again. He smiled, a single tear drifting down his face. He patted his sons chest and left to go tell Clarus the good news.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading, I love kudos and comments, they fuel my creative spirit. I hope you liked it. Feel free to point out errors or mistakes. Thank you again for reading.


End file.
